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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
02-25-2018, 10:35 AM
This question is mainly for American citizens, but I'd like to know who has had any experience here renting a car in Mexico. I just went to a conference in Acapulco. If I'd had a car, I would have definitely taken more time to see what the city is like.
What does a visitor have to do to rent a car in Mexico? What should an American do when renting a car abroad?
Thanks.
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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
02-25-2018, 11:32 AM
I plan on doing the same thing when I go to Mexico next month, so I'm curious to hear people's thoughts as well.
Last month I rented a vehicle in Iceland and had no problem. However, be sure to book a vehicle with automatic transmission if you don't know how to drive with a stick. It also helps to look online ahead of time for cheaper rates well before the dates that you plan to use the vehicle.
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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
02-25-2018, 11:38 AM
I've rented a car in Mexico as an American citizen and drove all over the state of Oaxaca.
The process was not too different than renting a car in the US. I did not have an international driver's license or anything, and my US license was sufficient for the rental.
Obviously you'll need to purchase the mandatory liability insurance and then any other insurance depending on your coverage. Car rentals in Mexico are extremely cheap, so I maximized the coverage for peace of mind. You definitely don't want to get involved in an accident in Mexico as a foreigner, especially if there are significant injuries involved, without adequate coverage.
The rental car agencies are very meticulous about any scratches or dents. I would do a very thorough walkaround and take pictures and video as evidence. It's not like the US where the cars are hardly inspected at all during the return.
I found the roads to be surprisingly good, even in rural areas. It wasn't too different to driving in the US for the most part. Mexicans do have a weird driving culture where you are supposed to drive on the right shoulder and yield the roadway if someone is trying to pass you. Otherwise, I found driving to be fairly easy in Mexico.
Caveat: I was traveling with a Mexican girl, so that might have mitigated any 'fuck the foreigner' factor when I returned the vehicle. The agency in Oaxaca spoke zero English, and this was a major agency (Europcar).
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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
02-25-2018, 07:23 PM
I once rented a car at the Puerto Vallarta airport to travel the coast from there and make stops along the way. No issues.
However, an American friend once asked me to sort of the mess he got into when he rented a car in Mexico and they overcharged him at the drop-off point (he returned it in a different city). He couldn't speak or read much Spanish -- and contracts are borderline incomprehensible, anyway. I imagine they just told him whatever they thought he wanted to hear in English to get him to sign and fork over his card.
The best way to see Mexico is not by car. Take a bus or combi. They go almost everywhere. That's the adventure itself and it forces you to interact more with the people, asking how to get somewhere, getting lost, etc.
For medium-short distances, Uber is an option in some places, and almost everywhere has taxis.
It's possible to hitch in Mexico, I've done it twice, but probably not the best idea to recommend.
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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
02-26-2018, 12:22 AM
Yeah, the ADO GL or Platino can get you most places and with overall less hassle than driving. Mexico is definitely a bus country for intercity travel.
When I was younger my family did many car trips in Mexico, but I wouldn't say it was always more convenient. In Mexico City, for example, we got pulled over by the cops for having Texas plates; they claimed we couldn't drive on that day when all they wanted was a bribe. I suppose it was nice of them to escort us out of the city for US$150. On that same road trip a taxi smashed into our Suburban's rear left tire in Veracruz because the stop lights had been moved for some street parade the day before. Taxi was totaled, SUV just had a big dent but we had to go to the police station to fill out paperwork.
In other words, think about the bus.
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Car Rental as a Foreign Visitor, esp. Mexico
03-02-2018, 05:29 AM
I rented a car in Cancun. Paid extra for total coverage through Firefly. Smashed that fucker to hell on day one by crashing into a Mexican tourists car. Went back and got a brand new car. So glad I didn’t rely on my card or us insurance. Drove away laughing.
